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1
Preheat oven to 350 deg F/ 180 deg Celsius.
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2
Grease and flour a 9-inch (22 cm) loose-bottomed cake tin.
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3
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
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4
Add the sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the milk, until you have a smooth sponge batter.
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5
Spread the batter in the prepared tin, and prepare the topping before the cake goes into the oven.
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6
Topping: combine all the ingredients in a small pot, stir, and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this over the cake batter and spread evenly.
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7
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
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8
Remove cake carefully and cool on a wire rack.
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9
While cake is in the oven, make the custard filling.
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10
Bring milk and cream just to simmering.
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11
Add cornstarch to the sugar, then beat egg yolks with this mixture and the vanilla until light and creamy.
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12
Slowly, in a thin stream, add the scalded milk while whisking. Now you need to put this mixture either in the pot you scalded the milk in, or in a double boiler. Heat, stirring, (I prefer stirring with a whisk) until the mixture thickens well. Do not boil it because the eggs will cook and the custard will separate, so be very careful.
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13
Stir in the butter, remove from heat, and cool.
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14
Once the cake and custard have cooled down, split the cake carefully into three thin layers. You can do this with thick cotton thread, pulling it through the cake from both sides. Or use a long serrated knife like a bread knife.
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15
Sandwich the layers together with the custard filling. The top should be golden, with lovely golden sliced almonds.
